Dear Friends who pray and support Roma mission in Hungary,

Aldas Bekesseg!

(Some of you already knew that this is an official greeting of Reformed Church of Hungary, which means "blessing and peace.")

We send our warm greetings to you as we walk with you in the Holy Spirit through the Holy week, the darkness of the cross and the light of Easter.

We were away from Hungary in the United States for four months doing our "interpretation assignment." We came back to Hungary in early March. During the time we were doing mission interpretation, we visited local congregations, especially Korean-American local congregations, and shared and reported on the mission of the Roma. We had opportunity to visit about 30 churches and 4600 people. Most of our friends were surprised that the Roma migrated from northern India about 1000 years ago. As you know, the Roma have been the "untouchables" of Europe for centuries.

Our friends who heard about the faith community of the Roma at Hosszupalyi, Hungary, became excited and gave thanks for the work of God’s guidance for the Roma. We express our thanks to our friends for your warm welcome and hospitalities for us during the period of our mission interpretation. Thanks to our experience during our interpretation assignment, we’re sure that we are not alone in Hungary but walk with you in the Holy Sprit through your concerns, prayers, and support.

While we were away from Hungary, the reality of our Roma friends has changed.

• Lajos and Cilla (16 years old) have a new born baby girl.
  
• Jonas’s younger sister, Marika (15 years old), has got married.
  
• Jonas’s mother, Gigi, who is the mother of 11 children, is motivated to quit her drinking and smoking
  
• Adel (Once John Detterick and Duncan Hanson, the executive director of the General Assembly Council and the area coordinator for Europe, visited her house when they visited Budapest.) is taller and prettier and practices piano harder. Adel’s mother accepts Jesus as her Lord and Savior, and she got rid of her boy friend who abused Adel. Even though her living conditions are at best marginal, Adel said that she is happy with her grandma, mom, and her brother. Adel’s brother Vili has a job. He works hard for 16 hours per day, yet he is happy to support his family members. Vili is also happy to attend a Bible study meeting for Roma youth.
  
• Jonas and Judit were transferred from a high school in Gyongyos to Szolok, putting them together with Janos.
  
• Janos, Jonas, and Noemi dream of continuing their studies at Debrecen Reformed Theological Seminary in the near future. We ask you to pray for them.
  
• Most of all, most of our Roma children are growing not only in body but also in faith and hope.

We are happy to be back again especially with our Roma friends. God bless you on this happy Easter season.

Aldas Bekesseg!

In Jesus’s love,

Stephen & Kaeja

The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 86